A New Belief, A New Fear
by SithofSorrow
Summary: Spoiler story A couple months after Luke's return, the party reassembles to discover the return of another, and the entrance of a newcomer to Auldrant itself! And evil takes advantage of the lack of the Score. CANON pairings. Luke and Asch come to terms.
1. Another Journey

**_Iiii don't own Tales of the Abyss :D But I love it. This is the beginning of my fanfiction, whoo! Hope I got everyone in character decently...please review if you like it! If you don't, lemme know what's wrong! _**

_There is chaos in this world…A great fear…It has slowly spread through Auldrant like a virus, those dependant on the Score carry such fear and are consumed by a frightening dark._

_The darkness is not malignant, but there are those who take advantage of such fear, and make use of it for power._

_A new belief must be recognized._

_I shall send my message to those who might acknowledge it—those who have benevolent power and wield it wisely._

_I send you--my self, my image—to partake in this journey with blind eyes; to spread the new teaching properly, and dispel those who create a world of further chaos and fear._

**Baticul **

"Luke!"

"…"

"Luke!! Why are you still sleeping?"

An impatient knock rapped against the door.

"What…?" The red-head mumbled into his pillow.

"LUKE!"

"Okay, okay! I'm awake! Jeez…" He sat up groggily, running his hand through his long bed-hair before he stood up.

"Hurry up!" Now he recognized the voice since he was out of his sleeping spell.

"What for, Natalia?"

"Jade and Anise are here! And Tear is on her way! You better be properly dressed! The Colonel said that he has some news we might want to hear!"

Luke headed for his door, opening it so the princess wouldn't have to yell for the entire conversation. "What sort of news?"

"I'm not sure. He said that we should all be present when he speaks of it. Shall I fetch Guy?"

"Nah, I'll get him—wait for us in the castle. We'll be there in a bit."

"Alright." With that, she turned and headed out of the mansion.

"Hm. Even if Jade tells us, it'll probably be as confusing as ever…" Luke turned the other direction to head for Guy's room—which at Luke's request, had been remodeled and refurbished to something more royal for the sake of Guy's true title.

"Hey, Guy! Are you up?"

His good friend opened up the door, smiling warmly before nodding in reply. "Of course I am, Luke. It's pretty late in the morning—it's almost lunch."

"Oh. Guess I've gotten lazy lately. Sorry about that."

"No reason to apologize, my friend. What do you need?"

"Natalia woke me up—Jade and Anise are here. Apparently they have some news to share with us."

"Really?"

It had only been a month or two after Luke's return—after his coming-of-age ceremony and the whole mess with Master Van. Tear had been nearly glued to him until she was called back to Yulia City to settle issues about the unhealthy dependence of the Score in recent times. Jade returned to Grand Chokmah under the request of Emperor Peony the Ninth, and Anise headed back to Daath to request becoming a possible Fon Master—and if not, to return to her Fon Master Guardian role to follow the replacement of the late Ion—Florian. Natalia was oftentimes called as representative of the Baticul kingdom to Grand Chokmah—becoming a fast but very confused friend of Jade's over that time, remaining for days on occasion at Peony's request. Luke was invited too, at times, but his mother—after thinking that she had officially lost him—had requested that he remain home for just a couple of months. Thankfully for Luke, that time was almost up.

"Yeah, let's head to the castle."

"Sure."

Upon their arrival within the foyer, Luke was immediately thrown backwards as he was embraced tightly with an excited squeal. "Augh!"

"Luke! I've missed you sooo much!"

"H-Hey, Anise!" He managed to choke out. Before he could say he would die of lack of breath, she released him only to turn to Guy, who retreated back quickly enough to avoid her glomp.

"How's everything been, Anise?" He asked with a bright smile.

"Booo!" She pouted at his evasion, but quickly recovered a cute smile. "I've been working soo hard! Headquarters told me that since Florian's around, I've gotta fulfill my duties as a Guardian still. If I wanna be Fon Master, the poor guy's gotta drop!" She raised her shoulders, holding up her hands in a shrug. "But I'd never let anything so horrible happen to Florian! He's such a sweetie! And he learns so fast!"

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"Well, Ion had been so trusting, you know?" She glanced down at the floor in all seriousness. "I'm trying to teach Florian to have some good amount of caution and defense. He can't just let everyone walk all over him, or order him around like he's a soldier. He's the Fon Master! And deserves a lot more respect than even King Ingobert or Emperor Peony!"

"That's true."

"Jade!" Luke grinned in welcome. The Colonel nodded with his usual all-knowing smile. "Anything exciting happen to you?"

"Besides the fact that one of Emperor Peony's dear little rappigs past away, not really. But I've recently heard rumors that everyone would like to hear—especially you and Natalia."

"Why? Has something happened?"

"We'll have to wait until we're all here."

"How come Tear isn't here yet?"

"The port has been very busy lately." Natalia said, walking over from her own room. "I hope she isn't overwhelmed by the crowds. There's been so much business and trade, it's wonderful to see so much, but it becomes a little chaotic down there…"

"It wasn't too bad; I just had to walk behind all the stalls."

Everyone turned around, Luke the quickest of all. "Tear! You made it!"

"Of course." She smiled at him, both of them seeming to stare at each other for a while before she shook it off, blushing slightly. "Sorry I'm a bit late, everyone."

"It's quite alright, Tear. You need not worry." Jade smiled; then continued on. "Well, now that everyone is present, I suppose we should find some place to discuss recent matters."

"Will my chamber suffice?" Natalia asked. "I can ask for the maids to be excused for now."

"Perfect. Let's go."

"So what's going on, Colonel?" Tear inquired, seated on a couch with Natalia and Anise.

"Is something wrong?" added Natalia.

"Calm down, now. It's nothing catastrophic. It's simply news—rumors, even."

"What is it?" Luke remained standing. "It's a bit surprising considering that you're interested in it, Jade."

"Oh, I'm not really. I just thought it would be exciting for you to know—you and Natalia."

The princess sat up straight. "What do you mean?"

"Some of my men have been exploring the Sephiroth—which, since we linked them together a few months ago—have remained idle." He paused rather dramatically, though his face grew a bit serious for some reason. "…Until now."

"'Til now?" Anise repeated. "You mean someone's messing with them?"

"Perhaps not tampering…but improving them. Has anyone noticed fonon activity?"

"…" The rest of the party remained silent.

"I suppose not." Jade sighed almost hopelessly. "Nevertheless, I have noticed that it has increased—rather than fade as we expected—even a few months should have shown a slight decrease. However, it is quite the opposite."

"…And? Is that a bad thing?" Luke rested his fists on his hips, tilting his head a bit.

"Contrary to that, it's a positive outcome. I simply want to know just who is doing it. My soldiers have possible sightings, or perhaps they started rumors."

"Did they see the man that's altering them?" Guy, in his usual position against a wall, walked forward to join the questioning fray. "If it's beneficial to Auldrant, maybe we should leave him be."

"I would like to know who it is though." Natalia interjected. "We could thank him properly—why would he do it quietly, without telling anyone?"

"He could be the quiet and shy type." Anise pointed out with a smile. "Maybe he's just one of those selfless good guys!"

"Well, that matches the description of him a bit." Jade said off-handedly, catching the others' attention.

"Your men saw him?" Standing up slowly, Tear stared at Jade. "What did they say? Or maybe we could find out which Sephiroth he's heading to next!"

"They told me he had short red hair, and wore dark clothing under a white cloak."

"Red hair…?" Natalia and Tear both glanced at Luke, who held out his hands and shook his head.

"My hair's long! And I haven't left Baticul since I came back!"

"True." Jade agreed and pressed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "So then…who else would have red hair?"

The room fell silent again—Natalia gaining a hopeful glitter in her eyes, clutching her hands together. Luke seemed to grow a bit brighter as well, though not as obviously. Guy frowned a bit, looking doubtful. "It couldn't be."

"Asch?" The princess immediately added. "You think it could be Asch?"

"But…" Luke ended up changing his expression to match Guy's. "He…died though. How could he…?"

"Technically you died as well, Luke. If you came back, it is quite possible that Asch could have as well."

"We have to find him! Which Sephiroth has he not altered yet?" Natalia demanded, nearly shaking with excitement. "We could offer him assistance! Or invite him to return here, or—"

"Calm down, Your Highness." Guy suggested. "We can't just go running off to search for him—there's seven Sephiroth, how are we supposed to choose which one to go to?"

"Supposedly he's been in Shurrey Hill for the past couple of days. His next stop is probably Mount Zaleho." Said the Colonel.

"Really?" Anise said. "He's going to Daath? The Order will recognize him then!! We could confirm it if we go!"

"Asch…I—we could see Asch again!" Natalia smiled brightly. "Let's go! We should hurry before we lose him!"

"I have the Albiore ready to go, I'll notify Noelle so she can be ready when we leave."

"We'll gather some supplies then." Guy offered, looking to Luke. "If it is Asch, though. Will he have changed?"

"He must!" Natalia crossed her arms over her chest with a slight huff. "He'll have changed for the better, you'll see!"

The princess stomped out of her own room to gather her things from the armory.

"…Excited, don't you think?" Anise giggled a bit while Tear sighed lightly. "I think I understand how she feels."

"Come on, let's go." Luke said—the two girls nodded before following the three men outside.

**Shurrey Hill **

"I can't see…Why is it so dark? My eyes are…o-open…I can't see my hands…"

A young girl stood up slowly, sighing heavily at the weight of the heat all around her. "Where am I? It smells…old."

She fumbled around for a while until she reached a wall, cool against her cheek—contrasting against the heat all around her. "Wall…" Taking a few steps forward, she felt around for varying objects. "Floor…R—ow!! Rock…" She winced as she tripped, standing up without another complaint to pat her clothes from dust. "I—I'm in a…a cave? I have to get…to the surface…Do what—What I was…asked to do."

Moving backwards, she ended up reaching the Sephiroth hidden within—unbeknownst to her, though she didn't find the stale air any more pleasant. "H-Here…I was…here earlier." She stepped forward to rest her hands on a partition again. "Wall…wall…um…pillar? And…" She seemed confused as she felt her hands grab a handful of cloth—which moved quickly away and slipped out as soon as she did. "Ah—"

There was silence—but she had heard boots clack when the fabric shifted so quickly. She stood slowly, sensing a tense presence before her, but could not see anything.

The quiet made her grow nervous and she shifted her head to the side. "H-Hello?"

"…" Why wasn't the presence speaking?

"I—I…"

"Who are you?" The stiff voice asked finally. Wincing a bit as if she were in trouble, the girl responded.

"…L…L-Lorei. Lorei Gaia."

"What the hell are you doing down here?" It demanded—He—Lorei recognized the voice to be male.

"H-Here? I—I don't even know where 'down here' is…B-But—,"

"Are you _blind_?" The man drawled it out as if he meant to use 'stupid.'

After careful consideration, and one more test of waving her hands in front of her eyes—opening and closing them as well, Lorei looked up towards the voice with a great amount of hurt in blank but teal-colored eyes.

"Yes."

At that reply, the silence returned, but grew more awkward than it had been intense before. It was as if the man regretted his question.

She shivered slightly, not enjoying the silence—he had just been speaking before, why stop? "Pl—Please keep talking. I don't…I don't like it being quiet."

"…You're in one of the Sephiroth—the one in Shurrey Hill. How did you get here?"

"I don't know…I just woke up and I could smell how old the air was."

"Tch. Great," The voice let go of an exasperated sigh before a hand suddenly snatched hers up from her side. "Come on. I'm taking you outside before you end up killing yourself."

Lorei nearly tripped at the speed he was walking, rather concerned about her well-being, as he didn't mention anything about himself. "W-wait!" She tried to pull her wrist out of his fingers, arguing with pulling, "I—I have to help, I have to do what L—!" until finally she succeeded after using every last bit of strength she had. Stumbling backwards, she ended up slipping over her own feet and colliding with some sort of wall edge as she did so, knocking herself out, the black of her sight, if possible, growing ever darker.


	2. Mt Zaleho

**_Still don't owm Tales of the Abyss xD Never will!! Though...maybe someday I could be part of making another Tales game...I hope. WISHFUL THINKING. Anyway, Chapter 2! If anyone is out of character, please tell me! Or if anything is wrong in general, it would be much appreciated!! Ahem...Onward!!!_**

**Daath Cathedral **

"Florian!" Anise called out, waving to the shy Fon Master with a smile.

"Anise, you're back!" He ran up to the group, grabbing Anise's hands with his own pale digits. "I'm so glad!"

"I wasn't gone for that long, silly. But thanks for worrying!" She giggled lightly, giving him a light hug before he turned to the others.

"How is everyone?" He beamed warmly, bowing his head. "We welcome the heroes of Auldrant with open arms! I hope Daath has offered all of its hospitality to you."

Luke sighed, a bit out of breath with disbelief marking his face rather comically. The entire party was nearly split up from crowds of welcome. Luke had been recognized before he could even blink, a few people having attempted to pull him every which-way his limbs could go. Guy smiled nervously, patting him on the back as he replied to a confused Florian for the red-head. "Just a bit…"

"Things have become a bit routine, if I do say so," said Jade. "Though in recent times there have been small squabbles between Kimlasca and Malkuth forces, they are easily put to rest thanks to Natalia and myself."

The princess smiled. "Yes! We are quite the team, Colonel. I suppose it teaches them better when we end up losing our tempers." She giggled as Jade shrugged with great flourish. The rest of the party seemed a mixture of both amused and frightened.

"But, of course! What better way to settle the soldiers down than to have their own higher authorities discipline them with a strike to the head? They are good people, who learn very quickly unlike some—they are simple, still, but very good soldiers nonetheless."

"You guys are scary…" Luke mumbled, dropping his head with a sigh.

"Well!" Natalia started indignantly, leaning her upper body forward as she pressed her fists into her hips, forcing him to lean back from her glare. "If you ever pick up that foolish attitude you used to have before, don't blame us if we slap you upside _your_ head!"

"Not that there's much in there." The youngest party member said with a sly smile. Luke growled in annoyance—being ganged up on again.

"Hey, now, Anise…" Guy laughed a bit, dropping his shoulders.

"Shut up! What'd I do to you guys??"

"Calm down, Luke. They're only teasing, like they always do." Tear said comfortingly, though she stifled a giggle with her hand.

"Is there something you need, Anise?" Florian asked, catching everyone's attention back to his pale presence. "I'd be more than happy to help!"

"Don't worry about us, Florian, you just stay here—we're heading to Mount Zaleho to find someone—has there been news of the return of the late God General Asch?"

"Um…I haven't heard anything, but I'm sure Grand Maestro Tritheim will know. Should I call for him? Or I could escort you myself—"

"No, no! You still have to study, Fon Master. We'll be fine! They've been here before, so don't get all worked up!"

"Oh, alright then. Good day to you all!" With another friendly smile, the boy turned to head back up to his chambers with a pleasant wave. "I'll see you soon, Anise!"

"He's a lot better than when we first found him." Natalia mused, Anise nodding in agreement with a wide smile.

"And it's all thanks to me! He's such a good sport about everything." She held her arms above her head with her smile growing into a brilliant grin. "Anyway, we should talk to Tritheim before we head to the volcano, yeah?"

"So, he became the new Grand Maestro, Anise?" Tear asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yup! He's great—and so patient with everyone, too! And he's always finding really good solutions to any problem he faces. A lot better than former Maestro Mohs, I think." Anise shrugged animatedly. "He's open and listens to everyone! I've heard that he's even gone out of his way to travel if he needs more information!" With a childish beam, she seemed to release an aura of pride all around her. "And he's the one that said I could become a Fon Master if the time comes—or if Florian feels he can't do it."

"Tritheim is keeping in closer connection with my father and Emperor Peony as well, is he not?" A small addition to the conversation from Natalia, "I saw him at the palace, and then in Grand Chokmah when I was representing my country there."

"Yes! You're right." With a dramatic flourish, Anise stopped in front of the doors to the inner cathedral. "He's trying to keep any lies from coming up—between King Ingobert the Sixth and Emperor Peony the Ninth, he wants only the truth!"

"That's a lot of work, it seems," Guy said off-handedly. "I hope he has a lot of help with that sort of thing."

"Of course he does—myself, Natalia, as well as the Fon Master and Anise." Jade gained an expression of theatrical exhaustion. "Although even with us it is still hard work. We either deal with stubbornness, or have to put up with rappigs and flirting all the time."

"Excuse me! My father is not _that_ stubborn!" Natalia crossed her arms over her chest.

"Not for you, maybe." Jade smiled innocently. The princess opened her mouth to retort.

"Grand Maestro Tritheim!" Anise called out; quickly cutting the princess and the Colonel's small bicker off in the process.

"Anise? What brings you back so soon?" The man beamed kindly, bowing his head to the group.

"We're trying to find someone—" Luke got the answer out first, "Has there been any news of Asch the Bloody returning here?"

"Asch the…No, I haven't heard a thing! Has he returned?"

"Yeah! We think he might be up to something…Uh—Oh! You—Grand Maestro, you don't have to call any soldiers!" She had panicked at the sight of him deciding to move—to call for people. "It's nothing bad. We just want to find out what he's doing. Can we go to Mount Zaleho?"

"Yes, feel free."

"Thank you, Grand Maestro!" Anise smiled sweetly before waving and running off, followed by the rest of the gang to head to the Sephiroth.

"Do you think he's already here?" asked Natalia, whispering to Luke with rays of hope rather obvious in her green eyes.

"Well, you know Asch—He probably knows the back way to everything. I wouldn't be surprised if he could disappear and reappear somewhere else!"

The princess giggled, pleased by Luke's response. "You seem excited about it as well, Luke…Are you hoping to become friends?"

"Ahh, maybe not that far," He scratched his head, dubious of friendship really being a possibility. "Just, well…I just want him to know some things—and give him back the life I…that I stole from him."

"Luke…" Natalia's expression rapidly shifted to one of surprise—awe, perhaps.

"If you start talking like that again, Luke—" Tear started, her strict-lecture face showing through.

"I'm—I'm not!!"

"Didn't he already say he can't return to it? It'd be really weird—awkward for him, and hard for you." Guy stated, frowning a little in response to Luke's slight pessimism as well. "If you don't want to stay there, then just travel all the time—the both of you can still end up visiting or something."

"You should discuss it with him when you get the chance—right now, let's find him first—before he ends up leaving." This suggested by Jade, who walked in front of everyone. "If we miss him, I'm not sure which of the Sephiroth he'd be traveling to next."

With an almost simultaneous nod from the entire group, they headed for Mount Zaleho.

**Mount Zaleho **

_It's hot…_

Lorei pushed herself up, leaning back on her hands with a pained moan. The back of her head ached with a hidden bruise, and she reached her hand back to pressure it, hoping against hope that the pain would stop.

Almost miraculously her wound did just that, and she felt decent enough to stand up. She felt dizzy as the blood rushed to her head, so she stumbled a bit before yet again noticing the terrible heat.

_Why is it so warm here? Where am I now?_

In fact, she could barely recall where she was before she woke up. She could remember falling—then the agonizing bump had woken her. Before that, there wasn't too much besides a man's stern voice in her memory.

The child felt a bit of sweat dribble down her cheek, and she wiped it off with a heavy sigh. To her great disappointment, she still couldn't see.

"How'd I get here…?" She asked aloud, resting her gloved hands on the floor to find a wall close by. Once discovered, Lorei inched along it for a bit to see if it led anywhere. With great doubt that anyone would be in the hot area, she called out a meek "Hello?" before dropping her head slightly at the long silence.

So, she decided to keep going.

After moments of listening to the environment, Lorei recognized the bubbling sounds of lava, roar of fires, and the flapping of some resident flying monsters. A volcano, yet for some reason the floor was cooler than she expected—it didn't even feel like it was made of rock. By Lorelei, why was she inside a volcano?

"How do I get out of this place?" She knew it was rather stupid to ask herself questions out loud if no one was around, but she felt as if she just had to hear even her own voice to quell her fear of quiet. With some mustered up courage, she tried yet again to get someone's attention, a little louder this time. "Is—Is anyone else here?"

It felt wise to sit and simply wait—moving around would result in panicking and getting hurt again, probably. As she rested on her knees, she shifted her hands around to make sure that her clothes were in order.

She had dark grey gloves on her hands, overlapped by baggy, light grey sleeves, which, considering the heat around her, were very thin and slightly translucent. The sleeves of her boots were thick—very loose, dark grey leather around her calf, while the body was wrapped around her ankles and fit her feet perfectly, protected by a red and yellow shoe. Bandages were wrapped around her legs to keep the bottoms of her baggy pants from getting caught on various objects. Underneath some sturdy cloth armor, she wore a long tunic bordered with red, topped off with a jeweled choker around her neck.

There was no weapon on her, nothing to protect her…She was vulnerable, not to mention at a disadvantage if she were under attack. Who would even bother to help if—?

"You're awake." A statement, not a question, though she could just barely sense relief in the familiar stern voice. "That was a pretty bad hit you took to the head. I don't know what got into you that made you decide to wander one of the Sephiroth defenseless—you're lucky you ran into me."

"Sephiroth?"

"You don't look like you're from anywhere." He ignored her consternated question. "Where are your parents?"

"…" As tempting as it was to repeat every word she didn't understand, she bit her lip and simply tilted her head with a half-hearted "I don't know…"

"Did you run away or get lost?"

"Um…yes."

"…" The man sighed in annoyance, brushing his crimson bangs back as he continued. "Either way, I couldn't find anyone in the immediate area on Shurrey Hill, so I decided to take you with me. Someone in Daath can take care of you once I leave."

"Why are you in this volcano?" Lorei asked, also ignoring his words. "It's too hot here…"

"One of the Sephiroth is hidden here."

"The Sephiroth keep this place together, what are you doing with them?"

He seemed rather surprised by her…honestly vague, knowledge. "Without you being able to see, it would be a bit hard to explain." It took a moment to make it as simple and unclear as possible. "I'm altering the Sephiroth to benefit some things."

"…Oh," Her voice sounded convinced, but her expression showed horrible loss; she smiled softly nonetheless. "That sounds like a good deed. What are you doing that for?"

There was a long silence—making Lorei suddenly nervous, her smile curving down into a pout.

"Tch. I don't need to tell you everything. Come on. I'll take you to the cathedral so someone can take care of you." He grabbed the child by the wrist, walking slowly so she wouldn't end up panicking again before he surveyed the area should she try again anyway.

"B-But…wait! I don't—I don't know who you are! Why should I follow you?"

"…You'd rather end up falling into lava?" She could hear the slightly joking tone he held under his breath, so she blushed lightly, quickly shaking her head.

"I didn't think so. Come on." He repeated.

"Could you tell me your name?" She asked timidly, a bit sad that he didn't introduce himself in the first place. Did he even know hers? She couldn't remember…

Yet another silence... She wasn't sure how long she could last if he kept giving her that pause.

"Asch."

If he wasn't going to make it pleasant, she would. "It's nice to meet you, Asch." The greeting was filled with a friendly smile. "I like your name…Um, my name is Lorei."

"I know."

She pouted again as his response made silence return like one of the fluttering monsters above them. At first she tried to concentrate on other sounds—his metallic footsteps, perhaps, or his subtle breath, often interrupted by an aggravated sigh from the heat consuming them. Then she tried to hum something, but didn't know a single song.

"W-Well…Since I just met you, I don't want to have to meet another person…Can't I stay with you?" She begged, tugging her wrist against his grip to keep his attention.

"Why the hell would you want to?" He growled, obviously not elated at the thought of a child hanging around him.

Lorei attempted to smile again to quell the irritation out of the man's tone, despite the sudden discouragement in her face. "I like your voice…And I don't have anyone to talk to or anywhere else to go."

"Don't tell me you _need_ me." He rolled his eyes vigorously. "Just go run into someone else."

"Who else would be in a volcano…?" She huffed, saddened by his rejection, though she knew had a feeling he didn't really mean it.

Suddenly her companion stopped, making her stumble forward when he pulled her back a bit to stand behind him. "…"

"A-Asch! What's wrong?" Lorei mumbled, grabbing at his cloak for a bit of security.

He remained silent, staring forward at a party of six—three men, three women—all who returned his gaze with wide eyes and open mouths. Asch couldn't help but smirk under his breath at the sight; the pretty blonde girl of the party stepping forward as if to greet the former God General, but stopping in her place when the blonde man snatched her wrist to keep her back as a mere precaution.

"Well, isn't this a surprise." said the oldest of the party, carrying a cynical smile on his face, no less.

"Asch!!"

"…Natalia." The original merely nodded his head.

Behind him, the child noticed a softer tone in his voice, even a slight increase in his breath.

"What are you doing here, Asch?" Luke asked, gesturing around the Sephiroth.

He only furrowed his brow in disgust.


	3. First Meetings and Reunion

_**Iiii don't own Tales of the Abyss!!! I hope everyone is enjoying it, as bloody slow as I am... Sorry if this chapter is a smidge short, ehehe**_

"It's none of your concern, replica." He snapped back, still holding a grudge even after all the events of before.

"Oh, but it is, Asch." Jade remarked, stepping forward as he pressed his glasses back against the bridge of his nose, the red-head turning his glare onto him in the process. "You see…We would like to know exactly _what_ you're doing to the Sephiroth. As helpful as I'm sure it is; there could be some drawbacks to your work that you haven't thought of yet."

"Yes," added Tear, "Shutting down the Sephiroth could be one thing—but reversing the fonon activity in order to increase the product is another—"

An impatient grunt escaped his throat as he tossed his head to the side, not wanting to deal with Luke's party now. He wanted to finish with the Sephiroth fast enough that they wouldn't screw it up with their own theories. If, in truth, what he was doing really did affect Auldrant negatively, then he would immediately take the blame and fix it again. It was no problem for him to accept mistakes—it had never been a problem, unlike another red-head.

"Booo, talk about rude!" Anise pouted, crossing her arms tightly. "If you're doing something bad, don't go blaming anyone else in the end! It'll be all on you!"

Luke seemed to flinch at her words, glancing over at the youngest girl with rather sad eyes. He may want to remember what he had been responsible for, but it certainly hurt even when she used the example against someone else "Anise…"

"You don't think I _know_ that? I'm not stupid, like _some_ people." Asch's teal eyes shifted back to Luke with a barely audible growl, his own companion catching the sound with an uncomfortable switch of her footing. How did the replica manage to reunite with everyone, while Asch was once again dumped in a place where no one knew he still existed? It had been a lucky break after a while, perhaps, but the initial return to Auldrant—alive and well—was one of shock, pain, then the return of his bitter anger. He was the original; didn't he belong here more than his copy? Shouldn't Lorelei have taken the fake back, even if Asch had died prior to the end of Van? Luke was obviously important to many people—but it would have been Asch had he never been created, right? Perhaps even a thousand times more—as Luke had the dragging, selfish attitude about him before the destruction of Akzeriuth. Yet, not one of his companions truly turned away from him. It disgusted him—even now, a couple of years after he had even died—how much Luke meant to so many people.

And Asch, probably meant barely anything to two.

Lorei, still clutching his cloak behind him, dared not move, hoping the new company was friendly—though the way they spoke seemed to confirm that, despite some smart remarks. If she poked her head out from behind him, however, it might get attention he wouldn't want to be stuck with. The curiosity was beginning to build up within her at hearing the benevolent tone in the voices though, hard as she tried to remain still. She could feel some tension emanating from Asch, her head dropping slightly with dread. He could very well end up abandoning her in a flurry of rage if the others infuriated him enough…

"I'm not going to waste my time with you. Perhaps I'll explain once I'm finished." He finally said, though the "perhaps" he used in his sentence a rather obvious "I'll never".

"Well, if you won't tell us, then," Natalia began, smiling a little when Asch shifted his gaze back to her instantly. "Then…maybe we could join you."

"Natalia," Guy warned quietly—stomped on the foot in the process by the princess. "Oof!"

"You can leave us in the dark for as long as you want—just let us help you! I'm sure it must be tiring to be all alone." She held out her arms invitingly, as if she expected him to run forward and embrace her.

Not in front of the replica, he wouldn't. Definitely not in front of the little brat or the colonel either. Not on his life.

"Tiring?" _I'm not alone though_. The former God General turned his head slightly to glance behind him, down at the child. _Not this time around_. After a moment, Natalia's words struck at his memories—not to mention his quick temper; his eyes, tone and words directed towards Luke rather than her, never her. "You have _no_ idea."

With a saddened wince, Natalia stepped back, though she stared stubbornly at her childhood friend. Guy made his own attempt to comfort the princess with a hand on her shoulder—she only smiled half-way, eyes still on the red-head.

The replica seemed to step back at his original's gaze, dropping his head slightly at the same time as the princess' movement. _Asch, I'm—_

_What do you want_? A small voice inquired.

_…Asch? Are we…still connected?_

_Why are you bothering him? You'll just make him angry and leave_…

_"Him"…? Wh—!! Wait a minute—_

"You're not coming with me. I don't need help from any of you." Asch stated firmly, beginning to turn away. "Just get out of here—None of you better follow—!"

"And what of your little friend there?" Jade interrupted, making the curiosity of his party rise, while Asch's dread flourished into a garden of frustration. He gritted his teeth together, fully aware that the colonel would have been the first to notice anyway.

"Friend?" Anise repeated, leaning over to see what Jade was talking about.

Lorei froze as she felt a bunch of eyes being directed towards her, her mouth dropping open with a quiet gasp as Asch's cloak slipped out of her hands. With nothing to hold onto and no sight to battle that of the party members, she felt rather frightened, climbing to her feet quickly in an attempt to find the brooding red-head she met in the first place. His breath was crowded over by the volcano's constant noise though—along with the breathing of the others.

She tried her luck in getting him to come back. "A-…Asch!"

"Who is that?" Natalia asked aloud, getting a response from Guy, who simply shrugged.

Tear seemed rather captured by the girl's childish face, smiling lightly as she walked up slowly to kneel down by her. "She's adorable…"

"What are you doing in Mount Zaleho?" Luke, confused by her presence, sat down next to Tear to stare at her as well. "Your hair's the same as mine and Asch's…And your eyes…"

Lorei leaned back a bit from their voices, though she wasn't entirely sure how far or close they were. _Asch!!_

_Hold on_. _Just hold on for a little while_.

"Colonel," Tear called out behind her, "Come look at her. I think something's wrong."

"If I were being crowded around by so many strangers, I'd feel a bit invaded as well." He remained standing, though he leaned over the child to glance into her eyes—which stared off to another dimension. She tried her hardest, it seemed, to try and direct them to the sound of his voice. Her blank gaze was nearly locked on his throat. Instead though, if she did have sight, she would have been staring off into the brightly colored stalagmites of the volcano. "…Especially if I were blind,"

"_Blind_?" Once again, Anise repeated her friend's words, looking up at him incredulously. "You can't be serious! What's she doing here then??"

"Perhaps you should ask her if you're so nosy." Jade shrugged with a smile. "Though I wouldn't guarantee an answer from her,"

"Guys, guys," The blonde man said, sighing rather hopelessly. "She's scared out of her wits—it's scary enough to meet new people as a kid, even worse when you can't even see them."

"That's right." Natalia agreed—glancing up to where Asch walked off—back towards the passage ring. "We must introduce ourselves properly! It's only fair for the poor thing…"

The child responded with a stubborn silence, crawling on her hands backwards, since all of their voices were apparently in front of her. She honestly didn't care if they were friendly or trying to be nice or whatnot. Asch was who first found her, and she intended to stick with him—even if she had to crawl blindly on all fours to find him.

"Where are you going?" Lorei gasped as someone grabbed a handful of her clothes, pulling her back—Anise's voice being the one that spoke. "C'mon! Asch isn't worth the energy, don't concern yourself with him. He would probably just leave you behind anyway!"

"Anise!" Natalia yelled. "Don't talk about Asch in that way! I won't allow it!"

"Calm down, both of you." Tear scolded them, gently pulling the girl out of Anise's grip.

"What's your name?" The voice of Luke asked quietly—much closer than she had heard him last time; he must have leaned over to whisper to her ear.

"…" At first, she didn't want to answer at all. Amiable as they sounded, they seemed to be something of a negative issue with Asch. What if he didn't let her go with him because she befriended this party?

Then again, if he did still let her go and they ended up separated somehow, she could get help from them…They seemed resourceful enough, or acted that way.

"Well?" said the voice of Jade. "We're waiting, O Nameless One." There was humor in his voice; she had a feeling his face had some cynical smile.

"Um…It-It's Lorei. My name is Lorei Gaia."

"I'm Luke fon Fabre." His voice had something of self-loathing within it—or perhaps just a lack of confidence. Nice, but wary of words, as if he had made some mistake before. She nodded in reply.

"My name is Tear Grants," a voice of soft but firm resolution greeted. She spoke militarily, similar to that of the vocals Jade used. It sounded as if her title was longer, but formalities weren't required.

"Just names," Lorei mumbled. "I don't care what else you are." Not like she would really know what it was, honestly.

That seemed to suit Jade, though at the same time, he had to cut himself off out of force of habit. "Jade Curtiss." So far, she liked his voice the best—she could hardly pinpoint his exact mood or feeling even within. Yet it was rather calming, as if she was usually supposed to give off a smile at his words.

"The name's Guy." He was certainly friendly, yet his voice was distanced a bit further than Tear's. Brotherly, Lorei guessed was the tone.

"I am Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear." Even as much of a mouthful as it was, Natalia was unused to taking out princess. The blonde smiled at the thought. Lorei found her voice suitable for leadership, but rather poor in force; but she must make it up in times of anger.

"Anise Tatlin!" The last girl said dramatically, the enthusiasm in her voice making it sound like she'd be giving off a friendly pose in the process.

"How did you get down here?" Luke asked, staring down at the strange girl while she turned her head this way and that—trying to find the exact location of his voice. "Are you hurt?"

"N-No…I'm okay." She mumbled while shrinking backwards, still trying to find Asch through just listening for his breath—unfortunately, she forgot that everyone else could breathe too. "I came here…with Asch. He said he found me in Shurrey Hill."

"Is he being polite?" Natalia asked, her tone filled with concern. Lorei only nodded, stumbling to her feet.

"I—I want to find him. Where is he?"

"I think we should let her." Guy said aloud. Luke glanced to him in surprise.

"Wouldn't it be better if she stayed with us? I mean…"

"Yeah! Asch would ditch her and be mean and order her around!" Anise retorted, crossing her arms.

"Anise!" Natalia yelled, making Lorei wince at the sudden shift in volume. Angry at the group's strange cruelty, the princess stood, resolutely grabbing the small girl's hand in hers. "Lorei, I'll take you to Asch."

"Natalia!!" Luke protested, standing up quickly as she marched towards the passage ring.

"Luke, everyone, please stay here. I will speak with Asch and return Lorei to him." With a curt nod, she turned on her heel to continue walking—followed by a stumbling Lorei.


End file.
